Organizational Experiments and the Change of Meaning

Abstract

The present paper advocates for a bolder use of real life experiments in and with organizations. We illustrate how real life - in-vivo experiments - can lead to wide organizational changes by creating new meanings and change sensemaking, which makes it possible for a company to address its challenges from a new position. We argue that having a Dionysian perspective when using organizational experiments makes it possible to plan and execute experiments inspired by high ambitions and visions to explore new ways of organizing in an explorative manner. This includes the willingness to forget past experiences and regard past experiences as examples of hypotheses that can be altered, exchanged and replaced with new ones as the organization gets new experiences from playful learning.

abstract = "The present paper advocates for a bolder use of real life experiments in and with organizations. We illustrate how real life - in-vivo experiments - can lead to wide organizational changes by creating new meanings and change sensemaking, which makes it possible for a company to address its challenges from a new position. We argue that having a Dionysian perspective when using organizational experiments makes it possible to plan and execute experiments inspired by high ambitions and visions to explore new ways of organizing in an explorative manner. This includes the willingness to forget past experiences and regard past experiences as examples of hypotheses that can be altered, exchanged and replaced with new ones as the organization gets new experiences from playful learning.",

N2 - The present paper advocates for a bolder use of real life experiments in and with organizations. We illustrate how real life - in-vivo experiments - can lead to wide organizational changes by creating new meanings and change sensemaking, which makes it possible for a company to address its challenges from a new position. We argue that having a Dionysian perspective when using organizational experiments makes it possible to plan and execute experiments inspired by high ambitions and visions to explore new ways of organizing in an explorative manner. This includes the willingness to forget past experiences and regard past experiences as examples of hypotheses that can be altered, exchanged and replaced with new ones as the organization gets new experiences from playful learning.

AB - The present paper advocates for a bolder use of real life experiments in and with organizations. We illustrate how real life - in-vivo experiments - can lead to wide organizational changes by creating new meanings and change sensemaking, which makes it possible for a company to address its challenges from a new position. We argue that having a Dionysian perspective when using organizational experiments makes it possible to plan and execute experiments inspired by high ambitions and visions to explore new ways of organizing in an explorative manner. This includes the willingness to forget past experiences and regard past experiences as examples of hypotheses that can be altered, exchanged and replaced with new ones as the organization gets new experiences from playful learning.